Can-filling apparatus



S. E. LAUER GAN FILLING APPARATUS Filed 5 2 sheets-sheet 1 4' ze a .9 /3

oct. 6,1925.

` y S. E. LAUER cAN FILLING APPARATUS Filed July 5, 1923 A 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Cil Patented Oct. 6, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,555,994 PATENT OFFICE.

` STEWART E. LAUER, F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO YORK PRODUCTS COR- PORATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CAN-FILLING APPARATUS.

Application led .T uly 5,

and has f'or its object to simultaneously' charge each of a plurality of containers, such as ice-machine Water cans, With a predetermined and equal quantity of liquid. )Vliile primarily designed for use in connection With ice-plant equipment, the invention is capable of use Wherever a number of liquid-containers is desired to be rapidly filled With a uniform quantity of contents.

Other features incidental to my invention will be disclosed in the following description.

Drawings.

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an apparatus embodying my invention, With the cans to be filled shown in place.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the same taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the same taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the inl-et and discharge valve mechanism employed in my invention, the outlet valve-shaft being partially broken away.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical midsectional view of one of the outlet valves.

Description.

The cans or other containers 6 are set in alinement in front of the apparatus, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and are then in position to receive their contents from the discharge spouts 7, Which extend downwardiy and outwardly from the bottoni 8 of the measuring-tank housing 9 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The housing 9 is divided by the Walls 10 into a series of uniform compartments 11 fed by nozzles 12, and a single float-valve compartment 13, of the same dimensions and capacity as the compartments 11, but filled by overflow from the adjacent compartments 11 Which adjoins it on both sides.

The tank-housing 9 is mounted on columns 1923. Serial No. 649,503.

14 at a suitable height to permit the nozzles 7 to discharge their contents at a point above the plane of the containers 6.

The pipe 15 communicates With the valve 16 of usual constructiolnand which valve 16 is closed when the valve-rod 17 is in raised position.

The feed-pipe 18 extends from the valve 16l through the several compartments 11 and i the float-valve compartments 13 and has a nozzle 12 in each of the compartments 11, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The Walls 10 are each provided at their tops with a vertically-adjustable flange 19 (see Figs. 2 accomplished by means of the Winged-nut ben, 2o.

On top of the valve 16 I provide a yoked standard 21 in which is fulcrumed the bar 22, pivotally secured to the fork 23 Which forms the upper terminal of the valvel rod 17.

At its free end the bar 22 has the block 24 in which the pin 25 (carrying the globular fioat 26) is adjustably secured by means of the set-sore7 27.

The forked guide 28 seated atop the yvalve 16 as shown in Fig. 4 serves to keep the liar 22 in proper alinement with the valverod 17.

Through the tank-housing bottom 8 and connecting With and forming the entrances to the spouts 7 are the valve-seat tubes 29 illustrated in section in Figs. 3 and 5, having a central bearing-block 30 Whose bore 31 receives and forms a guide for the valvepin 32; the upper terminal of said pin 32 having the block 33 provided with the eye 34 to be secured to the Wire 38 (see Fig. 4). On the pin 32 are secured the conoidal metallic top 35 and resilient bulbous depending face 36 forming together the valve A, the face 36 registering With the inwardlybeveled upper mouth 37 of the tube 29, as shoivn in enlarged detail in Fig. 5. The bore 31 is sufficiently large to afford considerable clearance for the valve-pin 32, so that the valve A Will be accurately seated even if the apparatus should become slightly displaced from a true vertical posit-ion.

The out-let-valve-shaft 39 is journalled in bearings 40-40 and has at one end the hand-lever 41, secured to it by the clamp 42, the free end of said hand-lever 4l extending through the guide-plate 43 having the slot and 3) Whose adjustment is clamp 50.

Mode of Operation,

The co-operation oi the inlet and outletvalves is shown in Fig. 4, which illustrates the valve 16 in open position, admitting liquid to the compartments 11 and 13 (13 being filled by overflow 'from the adjoining comlpartments 11 as above described) the valve A being in closed position, seated in the upper mouth of the tube 29. rlhe trip-arm 49 is rigidly held in the illustrated position by the engagement ofi the hand-lever 41 wit the notch 45. The liquid in the compartment 13 will finally rise to a height which will carry the float 26 upward to elevate the valve-rod 17 and close the valve 16 shutting off the flow through the inlet-pipe 18. The compartments 11 and 13 at this stage will each contain an equal amount of liquid, which will be released and discharged by disengaging the hand-lever 41 from the i" notch `45, moving` it rearwardly through the slot 44 and locking it in the notch 4G, there to remain, locking the valve 16 closed until the contents of the compartments 11 and 13 have been completely discharged,

The over-flow pipe 51 is arranged to take care of accidental excess oil liquid in the compartments 11 and 13.

It should be noted that the nozzles 12 are so stationed as to be above the level of the liquid when the compartments 11 and 13 are filled, to prevent the occurrence of possible siphoning action. A

The bulbo-us depending Jace 36 of the valve A is preferably of the contour shown in Fig. 5, its outline in section being arcuate at its surface-contact with the mouth 37, and following (in section) 4the outline of a circle struck from the center line of the pin 32, thus enabling the face 36 to contact closely with the mouth 37 when seated therein.

The metallic top of the valve A.r is preferably oft suicient weight to straighten any kinks occurring in the wire 38 and to cause the valve A to be positively seated with firmness.

The working water level is fixed by adjusting the loat 26 and the capacity of the compartn'ients 11 is varied at will by raising and lowering the walls 10, thus regulating the weight of' the water in each compartment according to the requirements of the *retrigerating plant in which the apparatus is employed.

Claims.

l claim 1. In a can llingapparatus, a housing; a series of vertical walls forming compartments within said housing, each of said walls having a vertically adjustable flange at its top; an inlet pipe; a float-operated valve controlling said inlet pipe; an outletvalve seated in each of said compartments; a lever controlling said outlet-valves; and locking means interposed between said lever and said float-operated valve to hold said valve in closed position while said outletvalves are in opened position.

2. ln a. can `lilling apparatus, a housing; a series of vertical walls forming comp-artments within said housing; an inlet pipe having a discharge nozzle in each of said compartments; a float-operated valve controlling said inlet pipe; an outlet-valve seated in each of said compartments; a lever controlling said outlet-valves; and locking means interposed between said lever and said float-operated valve to hold said valve in closed position while said outlet-valves are in opened position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto afliXed my signature.

srnwanr E. Laune. 

